The Centerback and the Striker
by Totaldile
Summary: Last year, Sayaka's slip-up meant her soccer team lost the final. This year, she's sworn to herself she won't let it happen again. However, an encounter with a certain red-headed striker leaves her confused as to what she really ever wanted. AU, KyoSaya.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there guys! I'm Total, your author and faithful navigator for this story. This is my first fanfiction on , so I hope you all enjoy. With this story I do intend to include a number of PMMM characters from the extended universe, as well events from the manga. Ultimately, though, this is a KyoSaya fic, so they'll be our main focus. I was thinking, one day to myself, what if Kyoko and Sayaka played sport, rather than becoming magical girls? The sport that leapt to my mind was, of course, football, or soccer. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the story. Reviews would be lovely, too :).**

The scarlet-haired striker in the black uniform with the red trimmings ran at her, speed incarnate. The blue-haired Centerback, proudly donning white and blue, braced herself. The grin on her opponents' face was infuriating. However, there was no way she'd let this one get past her. It was nil all, and this was the last play. She was the last line of defence. Sweat dripped down her face, and she could see it on the face of the red-headed striker between whom the distance had shortened considerably. She came closer, closer, closer...the Centerback stepped forward to make the tackle.  
But it never happened.  
The whistle blew, and a swarm of black and red darted past her, forming a massive team hug around the striker and screaming in joy.  
"Three cheers for Kyoko!"  
"Hip hip-"  
"HOORAY!"  
All Sayaka could see was the skid mark that had decided their loss. She hung her head, punching the ground. Her team, in white and blue, were visibly dismayed. _It's my fault. It's all my fault._

In the changing room, the vibe of the team was absent. Homura, the striker of Mitakihara High School, who had long straight black hair and equally dark eyes, stared daggers at Sayaka. Not that she noticed. She was too busy staring at the floor was a dark look on her face. Their coach had left the girls to get changed. There wasn't much chatter going on. Madoka, her best friend, sniffed beside her. Bit by bit, the team left, until only Sayaka and the captain were left in the room. The captain's name was Mami. She was in her last year of high school; this was her very last game for the school team which she had captained for the last two years. And I crushed her dreams of winning for once. She clutched her strip in her hands. It was neatly folded. Everything about Mami was neat, from her perfect blonde twin plaits, to the way in which she laced her boots. The center midfielder was a crucial part of their team.  
"It's not your fault, Sayaka."  
She looked up, her on blue eyes meeting the amber eyes of her senior.  
"You were just unlucky."  
Sayaka sniffed again. She didn't reply, either. Mami turned, picking up her bag and slowly walking out, looking at the dejected Centerback over her shoulder with concern.  
She spent a lot of time there.

- x -

Sayaka couldn't help but smile as the whole team cheered for her. Being captain was a responsibility she had long wanted to have the honour of taking on. Madoka, with pink pigtails askew, ran over and rugby-tackled Sayaka to the ground.  
"I'm so proud of you!"  
Madoka praised Sayaka and squeezed her until she thought she'd expended her last breath. Suddenly, another body weighed down on her from above. Then another, and another until the whole team, even ice queen Homura piled on top of her. Through the pain of being completely squashed and unable to breathe, Sayaka let out a grin, and laughed.

- x -

The final whistle blew, and the girls in white and blue cheered. The opposition, in green, looked disappointed. The girls of Mitakihara High clumped together, and chanted with merriment.  
"Three cheers for Ohara High! Hip, hip, HOORAY! Hip, hip, HOORAY! Hip, hip, HOORAY! One for the ref! ONE! One for the supporters! ONE! One for us! ONE!"  
The last cheer was screamed at the top of their lungs. They barely heard the other team cheer, and shook hands with each member before regrouping for a post-game discussion. Sayaka grinned haphazardly as the team in blue and white slung their arms around each other to form a circle.  
"This is it, girls! We're currently undefeated, with only one pool game left."  
Kirika, a younger fullback, spoke up.  
"Who's left? Let's pound them!"  
Sayaka looked at the girl with mirth.  
"Mitakihara Prep."  
The girls went silent,  
"As you all know, we lost to them last year in the final. This year is exactly the same, with both of us undefeated. Regardless of the result of the match, we will be in the quarter finals. However, chances are, we could end up facing them in the semis or final. This will be a great chance to see how we match up."  
Homura looked Sayaka right in the eye.  
"I think the real question here is, how are you going to deal with Kyoko Sakura?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Welcome to Chapter 2 of this wee fanfic here. I'm not particularly familiar with Japanese customs, so I'll refrain from using those in this fic, except where appropriate. Furthermore, I'm not from America, either, so I'm not familiar with those customs. I'm from New Zealand - so I'll briefly explain our high school years to familiarise you lot :). Basically, primary school (elementary school) is six years long, intermediate school (middle school) is two years, and high school is five years. Students in their final year of high school are Year 13s, and those in their first year of high school are Year 9s. I won't specifically refer to these students as Year whatevers, but I will assume that there are five years in high school. My apologies if this is different to how it should be :). **

**Sparx - thank you for your review! Yes, I do understand the first chapter was a little short, and I'll aspire to lengthen my chapters from here on out - but I do intend to post chapters frequently, so they're not going to be of epic length :). I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.**

The question was cruel, crueler than usual for Homura, who was typically blunt. Just not that blunt. Sayaka looked around the teammate's faces. Each of them, barring Homura, was looking away awkwardly. She felt like she had to do something to lift the mood.

"It's easy. I'll just make sure she doesn't get the ball. If she can't shoot, she can't score."

The rest of the team looked relieved at Sayaka's pseudo confidence, but Homura kept the doubtful stare upon her for a few moments. She dismissed the girls.

"Alright, girls, we can talk more at practise tomorrow. See ya!"

With that, the rest of the girls left to get changed. Homura flicked her an icy look before taking Madoka by the hand and leading her away. Madoka gave Sayaka a sympathetic look before being dragged away. The girl with the blue hair finally let her face crumple. She felt a tap-tap on her shoulder, and whipped around. It was Mami.

Their coach from the year before had injured his back playing for his own men's team, and thus couldn't run, or show the girls how to perform the various drills they did. Mami, instead, had stepped up to help. As it turned out, she was a fantastic coach. In the end, Mami ended up becoming their main coach. For some reason, it felt natural to Sayaka. She and Madoka had always gone to her whenever they needed help with their game. It didn't feel weird at all.

"Oh, Mami."

The blonde smiled sympathetically, twirling a blonde plait around her fingers.

"You played well today. At least one if those goals was directly caused by your run up the middle, and you stopped their striker from having a run that would have surely resulted in a goal. You've improved a lot since last year."

Though her words were meant kindly, Sayaka couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt at the mention of last year. Her face crumpled a little more. Mami grabbed her shoulders.

"Don't look like that! You'll be fine! All you need to do is keep calm!"

Sayaka looked up at the taller still girl with concerned eyes. Mami raised her eyebrows.

"You know I wouldn't have chosen you as Captain if I didn't think you were the most capable and levelheaded on this team."

Sayaka nodded, looking downwards as a smile crept onto her face. She was the Captain. Clearly she must being doing something right. Mami nodded.

"Now go home. I expect some good input from you in our discussion on next week's game."

Mami smiled, releasing Sayaka from her grip.

"No more of this sorrowful reflection, alright? Otherwise you'll not be getting any cake tomorrow."

Sayaka forced a grin and nodded.

"Okay, okay, you got it, coach."

Sayaka walked towards the changing rooms to get her stuff. Mami, in addition to being an excellent player, and coach, was also an incredible baker. Every time they won, she showed up at practise with a new cake. Of course, they'd won every game so far, so every practise involved cake. Sayaka began to wonder what kind of cake Mami would bake. It was different every week. Maybe a Black Forest Gateau? She'd kept hinting at it all week. Suddenly, Sayaka bumped into something.

"Oohf, sorry."

"Well, excuse you."

Sayaka found herself looking in the crimson eyes of Kyoko Sakura. Her eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me."

She tried to get past the cockily grinning striker, but the girl didn't move.

"You're excused."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes playfully. Sayaka frowned in frustration.

"You ready to get your ass kicked?"

The taunt came from her red lips with mirth. Sayaka gritted her teeth.

"I'm not going to lose to you."

Kyoko pulled out a stick of pocky from her pocket and crunched half of it between her teeth, one if which was suspiciously shaped like a cat's - combined with the black bow she used to tie her hair, that looked like cat ears, the girl emated a sleek and dangerous aura.

"Correct if I'm wrong, but didn't that already happen? Oh, when was it? Last year? In the final? At the crucial moment?"

Sayaka clenched her fists. Kyoko sneered, and moved to let the girl pass. She broke another stick of pocky between her teeth, and let out a noise reminiscent of both a child's giggle and a witch's cackle at once as Sayaka walked past her, steeling all her courage to turn to look at the scarlet eyes which most definitely were lasers on her back.

Madoka was waiting for her in the changing room. She ran up to Sayaka, concerned.

"Are you okay? Homura was really mean to say that."

Sayaka nodded, waving a hand.

"I'm fine! Mami wouldn't have picked me as Captain if she didn't think I deserved it. Homura can go and suck some balls if she thinks I care about whatever crap she says."

Madoka's face went pink at that statement.

"That's...th...ahh..."

Sayaka realised her mistake.

"Wait, Madoka! I didn't mean it like that! Footballs! I meant footballs!"

Madoka calmed herself beside her bag whilst Sayaka got changed out of her strip. She traced the blue swirls that formed an indescribable pattern with her fingertips, before stuffing it into her bag. She threw on a light blue t-shirt and black football shorts, and waited for Madoka. The pinkette had just received her license, so of course Sayaka abused that as much as possible. Her parents had decided to wait a little while to teach Sayaka herself to drive, lest she crash through the neighbour's fence again. When the pinkette recovered, the two walked to her car. It wasn't fancy, a more-than-secondhand Toyata Corolla. However, it was Madoka's, and she seemed to be content with it. Madoka unlocked it, and Sayaka chucked their stuff in the back, hopping into the passenger seat. As Madoka started the car, Sayaka noticed a green Mazda trying to leave the car park. It wouldn't have bothered her, except for the fact that the driver had managed to drive right over the divider for the lanes, meaning every time it moved a horrible screeching sound was heard as the divider scratched the bottom of the car. The green car tried to reverse, but only managed to lodge itself even more horizontally across the divider.

"Hey Madoka, look!"

Sayaka began to laugh at the green car, Madoka laughed nervously too.

"He's even worse than you!"

Sayaka laughed and nodded, a hand behind her head. Finally, after a few minutes, the green car managed to leave the car park, and drove off, blatantly speeding. Yet, in the split second they'd met eyes, Sayaka realised the driver.

"Madoka, do you know who that was?"

"No? Who was that?"

"Kyoko Sakura."

The two of them burst into laughter, and laughed and laughed until they cried. Every time they looked at each other, they burst into another fit of giggles.

"That just made my day. No, make that my week!"

Madoka giggled, wiping tears from her eyes.

"It was really funny, wasn't it?"

"Yeah! Who'd have guessed that cow Kyoko was such a bad driver!?"

The two kept laughing as Madoka started the drive home.

"So, Madoka, do you want to buy me dinner?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Here's Chapter 3 of The Centerback and the Striker. I really shouldn't be writing this, considering I have like 5 assessments due over the weekend, as well as my own book to write, but meh.  
CaptainFirePower - I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far :)! I hope the newest chapter will satisfy, mm?**

Sayaka yawned as she walked to school. She was early, alone, because she'd intended to go the mall. Except, the mall opened late on Thursdays, as she'd forgotten. Which left her with nothing to do but head to school early. As the mall was quite a detour to make, Sayaka ended up walking a completely different route to school, cutting through the CBD to shortcut to Mitakihara High. Her feet led her to a cute-looking coffee shop beneath a shady-looking building, in a dirtier corner of town. Her stomach growled in response, obviously irritated it had been accidentally denied breakfast. She entered it alone, and pulled out her purse, selecting a piece of caramel slice and a hot chocolate. The morning wasn't particularly cold, but Sayaka found the wind to be chilling. She sat down and waited as her drink was being made, ignoring the cutlery set down for her slice and devouring half of it in one bite, with her fingers. She also ignored the disapproving stares that the few in the shop gave to her.

"Here you are, ma'am."

Due to the lack of customers this early, her hot chocolate came quickly. Sayaka took a sip, then slammed it down, spilling a little on the table as she reached for a glass of iced water to cool her scalded tongue. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a commotion in the street outside. A large man, with girth unequalled, was running frantically. It wasn't until she saw somebody else running at she realised he was chasing someone. A flash of red hair. Sayaka denied it could be, but as the figure sprinted past the coffee shop window with a bag clutched in her hand, she realised the truth. It was Kyoko. Sayaka stood up to intercept her, but the striker was gone before she'd even exited the coffee shop. The large man, obviously, now, a shopkeeper, stopped beside her, panting.

"What happened?"

Sayaka queried with interest to the man.

"That brat ran off with a full bag of groceries. I'll wring her neck if I ever see her again!"

Sayaka thought for a moment, then spoke.

"I know who she is."

The man looked up at her, hands still on his knees.

"Really? What's her name?"

Sayaka smiled.

"Her name is Kyoko Sakura, and she goes to Mitakihara Prep."

The man scowled.

"A rich school? What a brat! She doesn't even need to steal! Thanks, kid. What's your name?"

"Sayaka Miki."

- x -

Madoka's mouth formed a complete 'o' as Sayaka diverged the details of her morning encounter to her best friend. The pinkette seemed utterly shocked that a girl from such a rich school would steal.

"So she's a thief, as well as a bitch! I hope she gets caught. She deserves everything she's got coming."

Madoka nodded weakly.

"I'm sure she's not all bad. Stealing is bad, but maybe she had a good reason?"

Sayaka pointed offensively at Madoka, standing up.

"Madoka Kaname! You of all people should there is no justification for stealing!"

Madoka looked down sheepishly. Sayaka drew her hand back.

"Ah, Madoka, it was just a joke! No need to look so downcast."

Madoka nodded, a smile returning to her face, though weaker than before.

"Oh, are you coming to training today?"

Sayaka nodded fervently.

"Of course! What kind of Captain wouldn't show up to every training?"

Madoka smiled, though she creased her eyebrows.

"I don't think you need to be quite so hard on yourself. You can miss one or two trainings if you need to, right?"

Sayaka shook her head.

"No way! As a Captain, how can I expect my fellow teammates to attend if I'm not there?"

Madoka declined to respond, merely accepting what Sayaka had said. A glare from their teacher sent them immediately back to completing their algebra worksheet.

"Is the answer to the third question 42x?"

"I got 41x..."

Both girls scribbled out their answers and began to work through the problem again. Madoka didn't look particularly focused. She kept twiddling her fingers, until she spoke.

"So...Sayaka..."

Sayaka grinned.

"Yeah, what's up?"

Madoka gulped, and it took her a few moments to choke the words out.

"Can I...talk to you...after...training?"

Sayaka nodded.

"Sure, no problem. Something on your mind?"

Madoka nodded nervously, a blush stinging her cheeks with crimson.

"Okay. After training then."

- x -

Leaving the changing room with the rest of the team, Sayaka headed out to the school field,w here they trained. Mami was already waiting for them, a large Tupperware container held at her side. It was Thursday, after all. They always had cake on Thursdays, whilst they discussed the positives and negatives of the past game, and their goals for the next. Sayaka sat down, beginning a circle which the team quickly followed. Mami quickly counted how many were in attendance; everyone excepting the two youngest members of the team, who were currently on a school camp, was in attendance.

"Hey, Mami, where's Coach?"

Mami smiled at the question.

"Kazuko is having trouble with her back at the moment."

Her face showed signs of concern, though.

"It looks bad, I doubt she'll be we'll enough to attend our next game."

The team looked visibly disappointed, more so the older girls. Whilst the younger girls didn't know Kazuko as well, the older girls in the team had all been coached by her for two or three years. It was saddening to see that she couldn't attend one of the most exciting games of the season. Mami was unfazed, however. She pulled out the Tupperware container and opened. It was as Sayaka had guessed - a perfectly formed Black Forest Gateau, cut into 16 slices. The container was passed around the circle slowly, each girl taking a slice.

"Alright, girls, well done for yesterday's effort! That could possibly have been our best performance yet. Now, I want everyone to say a positive about the game, and something we could do to improve for next week."

Sayaka began.

"I think our possession was really great last night. Consistently passing it back to the fullbacks to maintain possession worked really well. However, I think we could probably work harder to make our passes quicker, and stronger. A couple of times, they intercepted the ball because of a weak pass."  
Mami nodded, and Madoka spoke.

"I think that our possession was good, like Sayaka, but also moving into space. Everybody moved into space really quickly to recieve the ball. I can't think of a negative right now, though."

So on, it went around the circle. The container reached Mami's hands. Three slices were left. Two for the girls on camp. One for the coach. They looked lonely. It didn't seem to bother Mami, who put the lid back on and changed the topic.

"That was good feedback, girls. However, we now need to apply this into our next game. We're playing Mitakihara Prep, at 8:00pm next Wednesday. I'm sure you're all aware of the high rivalry between our two schools, and how we lost the championship final last year to them. This is a high stakes match."

Sayaka felt a twinge in her stomach.

"They aren't a particularly good team; their main threat comes in the form of Kyoko Sakura, their striker and Captain. She was even selected to trial for the national under-19 team. We cannot at any point underestimate her."

Sayaka nodded, as did the rest of the team. Homura's eyes, though, were fixed on Sayaka.

"I believe our main strategy for stopping her is to have her marked throughout the whole game. They don't have many, if any other potential scorers, so if we can disable Kyoko, the game is ours to take. Sayaka, this will most likely be your job, as Centerback."

Mami let out a smile.

"However, I have managed to obtain secret information - luckily for us, their keeper was injured badly in their last game. The new keeper from their team played for the junior team of Mitaki Prep, so she's young and small. Our best chance of scoring will be to take powerful shots. Sayaka, Homura, Yuuki, you three have the strongest shots. I expect you all to take as many as you can. Sayaka, I understand you're at Centerback, but your runs through the middle have created so many opportunities, so whenever you see the possibility, I'd like you to take it. Megumi, in center midfield, this will be your job..."  
Sayaka tuned out as Mami kept speaking. She felt prepared, and completely ready to annihilate Kyoko. Finally, Mami stood up, and asked Sayaka to warm the team up for training. She agreed with a grin.

- x -

Sayaka grabbed her drink bottle and sat down beside her bag. The rest of the team did the same, Madoka plonking herself down beside the bluenette.

"Well done today, girls. I'll see you on Monday."

The team sat down, tired after a strenuous training. A young girl, in their school uniform, lingered on the fringes of the field. Sayaka took note of it.

"Hey, Madoka, who's that kid?"

Madoka looked over for a few moments, then turned her head back.

"I don't know. I wonder what she's looking for."

It was apparent none of the team nor Mami knew who the girl was. She finally started walking towards the football team, who all looked expectantly. However, she apparently couldn't work up the courage to say anything. Mami broke the silence, fiddling with a perfect golden plait.

"Can we help you?"

The girl finally worked up the courage to speak.

"Is...umm, is Sayaka Miki here?"

Sayaka raised a hand, still sitting down, slumped against her bag.

"Yeah. Did you want me?"

The girl nodded.

"Somebody's looking for you. She says you need to come by yourself, to the car park."

Sayaka looked at the team, who all wore various expressions of confusion and curiousity.

"Ah, okay?"

Sayaka grabbed her bag, gave Madoka a look and followed the girl.

"So, who are you?"

The girl seemed less nervous in front of just one person.

"I'm Kotomi Otonashi. I play the violin in the school orchestra, and I was just leaving practise when u saw this girl. She said she was looking for you."

Sayaka nodded.

"Oh, okay."

They slowly approached the car park, where a lone figure stood. Her hair was down to her waist, tied on a high ponytail with a black ribbon, that looked almost like cat ears. She wore a old green hoodie, and short denim shorts, even though it was almost the middle of winter. Sayaka, in the light, then saw who she was.

Kyoko Sakura.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Total here, and welcome to Chapter 4 of my wee story here. My apologies for how long this took to come out; I've been bogged down with assessments - thankfully, they are all over now so chapters should return to coming out frequently. i do have a question, though. Would you guys like to see anything from Kyoko's perspective, or would you just like to keep Sayaka as our narrator?**

**Thanks guys, read/review/favourite/follow!  
And thank you, my dearest reviewers:  
Madolche Wolffe - Thanks so much! I'm glad I managed to entertain :). I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**CaptainFirePower - It was necessary, wasnt it xD? I felt like we needed a little spice. It's a little mellow at the moment, but dont' worry, there will be blood, sweat and tears in the following chapters :).**

**Gear001 - Thank you very much for the constructive criticism! If you do figure out what's botherign, please do tell me. I'm defnitely happy to look for any way to improve my writing. **

**Thanks again, folks, and keep reviewing! It really makes my day when I get one 3! Enjoy the chapter :).**

The girl flicked her long red hair, and took a half-sucked lollipop out of her mouth, waving it at Sayaka. When the distance between them was no more than two metres, the bluenette stopped walking. Sayaka wore an expression of mistrust and suspicion. Kyoko looked irritated, but nonchalant.

"What are you doing here?"

Kyoko put the lollipop back into her mouth, taking her time to answer.

"You can go."

She wasn't talking to Sayaka, but the girl, Kotomi. She scarpered off quickly, sensing the rising tension. Sayaka started to get pissed off when all the red headed striker did was stand there, staring at her. She clenched her fists.

"Hurry up. I've got a friend waiting for me."

Like lightning, Kyoko grabbed Sayaka by the front of her shirt, and lifted it so that Sayaka was on her tiptoes. Even though the redhead was slightly shorter, to Sayaka, she seemed extremely large. Kyoko's face was filled with rage, pure cold rage.

"Hurry up? Hurry up!? You know, that's the second time today somebody's said that to me! Once was you. You know the other time? It was my landlord! Telling me to get out!"

Sayaka kept frowning.

"I don't see how that's my problem."

Kyoko quivered with rage.

"Do you know why I got kicked out!? Because some dumbass cashier came to my landlord and told him I was a thief!"

Sayaka stared Kyoko in the eyes, blue on crimson.

"You got what you deserved. Maybe you shouldn't steal next time."

Sayaka said so in a mocking tone. Kyoko began to shout.

"What the hell!? You've got no idea of the crap I have to deal with every day! Because the police wouldn't imprison me because I'm still a minor, he decided to make my life hell by getting me kicked out of my home!"

Sayaka still ignored her.

"You're a thief. There's no justification for stealing. Besides, you go to Mitaki Prep! You're a rich kid. Just go buy something with that giant allowance I bet you get."

Kyoko drew her fist back.

"You think life is that simple? You really do? Well, let me tell ya-,"

Suddenly Kyoko looked shocked. She let go of Sayaka and took a few steps backwards. Sayaka looked behind her. A few of the girls from her team were standing there, led by none other than Homura. The black-haired girl and red-haired girl locked eyes for a few seconds, unblinking, before Kyoko turned on her heels and walked away, sucking her lollipop. Madoka ran up to Sayaka.

"Sayaka! Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

She shook her head, smiling as the pinkette fretted.

"I'm fine,"

She put a hand behind her head.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue though, I thought she was gonna nail me!"

Madoka shook her head.

"It was Homura's idea to check on you."

Sayaka glanced briefly at the dark-haired girl. Homura apparently didn't notice, and kept talking to one of the younger girls who was speaking in admiration. Sayaka let herself smile. She guessed even Homura had a kind side. The other girls came up to Sayaka, wanting personally to make sure their beloved Captain was unharmed, but Sayaka waved them, off thanking them.

"I'm fine guys, honestly."

Finally, after a bit of coercing, Madoka, Homura and Sayaka were left alone in the car park. Homura left them, as well, but left a parting remark to Madoka.

"I'll meet you by the huge tree in the park."

Sayaka was confused, for a second.

"Are you guys doing some extra training or something?"

Madoka laughed nervously.

"Something like that. Anyway..."

Sayaka nodded, smiling.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?"

Madoka began to look nervous again, but finally steeled herself.

"Well, um, you know how Homura and me are good friends, but you don't like her, well, um, the other day, she, um..."

Sayaka looked serious.

"Is she giving you trouble? I told you she's dangerous."

Madoka looked frantic.

"No, no, no! She just, um, well, she..."

Madoka closed her.

"She kind of, well...she sort of asked me out."

Sayaka was shell-shocked for the briefest of moments, then she laughed, putting one hand behind her head.

"Oh, wow. Uh, I didn't know she swung that way."

She grinned again, winking.

"Did you tell her that you're my wife for all eternity?"

Madoka looked awkward.

"Actually, I, um...said yes."

Sayaka was shell-shocked for the second time in the space of ten seconds.

"You...said yes."

"Yeah."

"I, uh. I didn't know."

"..."

Madoka looked trouble, almost despondent. Sayaka put on a Cheshire smile and punched her shoulder.

"Well, that's fine. What were you so worried about?"

Madoka looked up at the taller girl, surprised.

"I mean, it's not even weird? It doesn't change anything. It's not even a problem."

Madoka stood, a little shocked still, but then smiled, and threw herself into a hug with the bluenette. Her voice was mellowed.

"Thanks, Sayaka."

"I still don't know what you're thanking me for." Sayaka grinned and squeezed her littler friend, laughing. The pinkette joined in. Suddenly, Madoka's phone vibrated in the pocket of her blazer. She untangled herself from her blue-haired friend and flipped open her phone. Sayaka tilted her head.

"Who's that?"

Madoka blushed a little and squirmed.

"Homura."

The gears started spinning in Sayaka's head.

"So wait, when she said she' d wait for you..."

Madoka was crimson.

"Yeah, we're going on a date tonight."

Sayaka nodded, finally having joined the dots.

"Is she telling you to hurry up? You better go."

Madoka nodded, and looked to the side, then threw herside into another quick hug with the bluenette before hurrying off. Watching her run off, Sayaka slumped. She was left alone in the carpark. Her eyes fell down to the ground.

"Why didn't she tell me she...?"

Of course, her voice reached no-one's ears.

- x -

The walk home was quiet. It would usually be with Madoka, but she was...busy today, or Hitomi, but she was on holiday in the Bahamas with her parents. So it was only her and the quiet street lights. Sayaka had forgotten about Hitomi's absence with the excitement of the game next week. At least she'd be back tomorrow. That was some comfort. More of a concern was that Kyoko girl. What haas she wanted to say? Sayaka shook her head. She had no idea. Thankfully, Homura had sensed danger and come to her rescue. She knew she'd probably have been ground to a pulp. Sayaka was taller than the red-head, but Kyoko was renowned for being aggressive and a ferocious fighter on the football field. She didn't want to imagine how that translated in a real fight.

"Yikes."

She voiced her thoughts out loud, even though nobody could hear her. It was comforting to hear something, at least.

Her street appeared before her faster than she'd anticipated. She walked down the dreary lane, fumbling for her key in her bag as she walked and turned left three houses down, passing an ornate iron gate. The travel path beneath her feet crunched with every step. The door was locked, as she expected. The key turned easily and the door, and she walked into the hallway, turning on the lights with a flick of her wrist.

"Hello? I'm home."

She chided herself immediately after doing that. It's not like anybody would respond. She dumped her bag down by the door, and went to kitchen, seeking food. A note, white on the polychromatic bench top, was folded. Sayaka picked it up. It was from her parents.

_Sayaka,_

_We've left on our business trip, as we told you this morning. _

_Make sure to eat breakfast. _

_Dinner for tonight is in the fridge, but for the next few days we've left you some cash. _

_If you get lonely, invite Madoka or Hitomi to stay the night. Call us if you have any problems._

_We'll see you in a week, sweetie!_

_Love, Mum and Dad._

Sayaka suddenly remembered; her parents had gone on a week-long business trip, starting today. She grabbed her dinner out of the fridge; vegetarian fried rice. The microwave whirred as it began to heat up. Sayaka watched it forlornly. Then, she had an idea. Since her parent were away, she could eat as much junk food as she wanted! She could stay up late without them yelling at her! She punched the air in anticipation, running to her bed and dragging the duvet off of her bed, and set it up in the living room over the couch as a blanket. She turned the TV on, and heard the microwave beep. Her fried rice was done.

"Sweet, now I'll just call Madoka and-"

Of course, she couldn't call Madoka. The pinkette was on a date with her...girlfriend. Girlfriend. Sayaka still wasn't sure how to feel about that. Suddenly, she felt that buzz from before die down just a little.

"Well, I'll just have a night all to myself."

Sayaka nodded, as if trying to convince herself of this, and grabbed a bag of chips out of the cupboard, a block of chocolate from her secret stash, the half-empty bottle of lemonade, and of course her fried rice, and returned to the living room. She snuggled up, under her blankets, and flicked through the channels whilst shovelling fried rice into her mouth. She ended up watching a subtitled version of a Western movie, the Lion King. It was cute. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the phone rang. Thankfully, it was in reach.

"Hello?"

"Is this the Mikis? It's Nagisa, the landlady."

"Oh, hi ma'am. It's Sayaka. Is there a problem?"

"Are your parents there?"

"Oh, no, they're on vacation at the moment. I can pass anything on to them, if you want."

"Well, I was wondering if you were intending on moving out. Your contract's almost up."

"...what?"

"You haven't paid your rent in two months. As per your contract, I'm going to have to vacate your house, unless you pay by tomorrow."

"Oh. I'll text my parents now."

"Thank you."

The phone clicked as the landlady hang up.

"Shit."

Sayaka sighed. It was so typical of her parents to be like this - forgetting to pay rent, forgetting to pick her up from school. They really were irresponsible. She picked up her phone and unlocked it, sliding the screen to unlock it and tapping the message button.

When the text finally sent, she slumped and went back to snuggling up in her blanket. Her thoughts drifted back to Madoka and...Homura. She didn't get it. Why had the pinkette not told her she was...gay? They were best friends, weren't they? Weren't they? So...why?

Sayaka realised, as she sat enrolled in her blanket. She'd so often had Madoka stay at her place, or vice-versa, it felt strange without her. Loneliness.

She stared into the empty darkness until her eyes were too tired to look anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

**Mother of god of shit, I'm so sorry this took so long. This has honestly been sitting on my computer with everything written except the last scene between Kyoko and Sayaka for fucking ever. Ugh. Well, it's out now, thank god. I actually have no idea how long this is going to be, though. I feel as if it'll keep going for quite a while. I've noticed a lot of fanfics deal with KyoSaya aftermath, but there aren't a lot of fics that deal with how they get there. I don't think KyoSaya would just happen, even if Kyoko had saved Sayaka. Sayaka would be way more cautious, so I'd like to explore that side of her during this fic. I hope you guys are still enjoying it, and will stay with me to the end :).**

kyosaya **- Thank you very much! Yes, she sure as hell is, and I definitely will!**

**CaptainFirePower - I am so very inspired to write a fic involving Homura fighting a bear with a spoon now. Glad you enjoyed the chapter :).**

**Madolche Wolffe - I think I'll put Kyoko's perspective, if I do put it in, so,he were later in the story. I was considering, somewhere alone the line, we get Kyoko's story from the start, so we can see what she was dealing with during these chapters too. What do you think? And I'm glad you found the chapter interesting. I'll aspire to make the rest the same!**

Sayaka walked to school with Madoka, the next day. All the pinkette would talk about was Homura Homura Homura. Whether she wanted to know or not, Sayaka received all of the gory details about last night's date.  
"-and I was really nervous but Homura she h-held my hand and we just walked down the street, you know? Like she was really patient about it and she was really understanding."  
Sayaka sighed, but tried to be happy for her friend. She was innocently, but blindly, and blatantly, in love. Suddenly, a flash of green hair appeared from behind them.  
"Hi, Madoka, Sayaka!"  
Blue and pink heads whipped around to find none other than Hitomi staring back at them.  
"H-Hitomi!?"  
"I thought you were away until tomorrow!"  
Hitomi smiled as both her friends enveloped her in a tight group hug. Sayaka grinned.  
"I'm so glad you're back! How was New Freeland?"  
Hitomi giggled.  
"We got back early yesterday, and it's New Zealand. And it was lovely. All of it is so clean! There was untouched native forest everywhere, and so many birds and flowers I'd never seen before!"  
Hitomi had gone on holiday for the past two weeks in a place called New Zealand, which was a small country near Australia. As the three resumed a leisurely pace, Hitomi explained her holiday.  
"I have to say, there were so many sheep everywhere! A lot of New Zealand is farmland, and there are just so many cows and sheep, everywhere! Of course, not in the main cities, but they're everywhere if you're driving from town to town."  
Sayaka was admittedly jealous; she'd only ever holidayed within Japan. Going overseas was a luxury she'd never been able to enjoy.  
"So, what have I missed? Did anything exciting happen whilst I was away?"  
Madoka squirmed excitedly. Sayaka sighed good naturedly.  
"Here we go. Go on, tell her."  
Madoka threw her an exasperated look. Hitomi clasped her hands.  
"Do you have some news, Madoka?"  
Madoka nodded excitedly.  
"Well, y-you see, me and Homura, um, well, we're g-going out."  
Hitomi stopped in her tracks. Her eyes went wide.  
"...what?"  
"Me and Homura are going out."  
Hitomi took a step backwards.  
"But, girls can't love girls!"  
Madoka creased her eyebrows worriedly.  
"Girls can't love girls! Girls can't love girls!"  
- x -  
After chasing Hitomi down the street and finally calming her down, the trio arrived at school, albeit late. Firstly they had Maths, all three of them together, then English, just Hitomi and Sayaka, then Biology, Madoka and Sayaka (Hitomi could never really stomach the dissections), and then Economics, Madoka and Sayaka again. Finally, at lunch, Sayaka sat down to breathe. Hitomi, who usually sat with her boyfriend, Kyousuke, had chosen to sit with them today.  
"Where's Madoka? Did she go home?"  
Sayaka shook her head, and replied in a voice that slightly revealed her irritation.  
"No, she's eating lunch with Homura today."  
Hitomi pulled a face that was a cross between disappointment and discomfort. Sayaka choked out a laugh.  
"What's with that face?"  
Hitomi looked sulky.  
"Don't mock my face, that's rude."  
The two of them giggled together. This, Sayaka felt, was how it should be. She'd missed the green-haired girls company; though she loved Madoka like a sister, Madoka had been acting strangely the past month or so. Now, of course, Sayaka knew why. Still, Hitomi's presence made it all a little easier.  
"So, how's your football going? Did you win any more games?"  
Sayaka nodded, liking where the conversation was going.  
"Yeah! We won both games, so that means we're definitely in the quarter finals! Our next game is against Mitaki Prep, though."  
Hitomi narrowed her eyes. She was all too aware of the situation that happened last year.  
"Are you going to be okay?"  
Sayaka grinned, hiding any discomfort.  
"Of course! I'll whip Kyoko's arse if she even tries anything."  
Hitomi smiled.  
"That's the spirit."  
The two giggled and laughed, chatting until lunchtime's end.  
"Oh, Hitomi, are you free today? Do you want to come with me to the mall? There's a new CD out that I wanted."  
Hitomi shook her head sadly.  
"No, I'm sorry, I've got piano today."  
Sayaka sighed, but smiled.  
"Alright then. See you tomorrow."  
"See you."  
The two smiled at each other, but for Sayaka, she felt a little lonely. She'd have her two final classes of the day by herself.  
- x -  
The mall was relatively empty, compared to when Sayaka had last visited. It was already five; most shoppers had gone home already, but Sayaka had only just finished eating. She pushed the remains of her fries off of her tray and into the rubbish bin, then placed the tray atop a stack, all of which were equally greasy. She wiped her hands on her thighs and walked out, putting her blue earbuds into her eyes as she left the fast food restaurant. The song was from her favourite artist; the same artist who she'd decided to purchase the new album of. The violin melded with the piano accompaniment beautifully; it was music to her ears. She swiftly avoided the mass of people who were aiming for the exit to the mall like a slam swimming upstream. Her eyes scanned the lower floor of the mall.  
There it was.  
The music shop was modest, but it still stocked enough classical CDs for Sayaka to feast upon. She walked in to the shop, and headed towards the section labelled D. An array of headphones lined the walls of the shop; one could select a CD and listen to it by placing the disk inside. Sayaka quickly found the album she wanted, and impatiently placed the disk on a waiting tray. The disc was immediately retracted into the wall, and as Sayaka removed her own earbuds and placed the headphones over her ears, she heard the beginning of a song she hadn't yet heard. She listened for a little while, marvelling in the combination of flute, violin and piano. She looked at the cover of the album she held in her hand, and flipped it over to check the song listing. However, since the song was half-obscured by the price label, she could only read the first few letters. Dea- was all she could read.  
After many more moments of just standing and listening with her eyes closed, Sayaka felt a tap on her shoulder. It was a shop assistant.  
"Excuse me, miss, but we shut in five minutes. Would you like to buy that?"  
Sayaka nodded.  
"Yes, please!"  
The shop assistant removed the disc and took it to the counter, where she handed Sayaka a fresh, sealed copy.  
"Thank you! Enjoy your album, dear. You were quite lucky. This was the last copy."  
Sayaka nodded in thanks and left the shop, plugging in her earbuds once more. The mall was even more empty than before, and most shops had already shut their doors. Outside, the sky grew ever-darker with each passing second. The car park was full however; cars flying in and out as they rushed to the supermarket after work. Dozens of people streamed past the glass doors, those going inwards clutching their wallets, those going outwards hands full with plastic bags overflowing with groceries. Sayaka saw a flash of red. The girl moved stealthily throughout the crowd, moving in the midst of the flow of people as if she didn't want to be seen. Then, all at once, she removed herself from the crowd. It was Kyoko.  
"That bitch..."  
Sayaka clenched her fists. She was pissed at the striker, understandably. Kyoko had come to her school and threatened her, no less. Sayaka had been seconds away from losing her nose. Still, she knew she wasn't any match for the redhead in a fight, so she turned to walk away.  
Too late.  
She heard footsteps running her way, and Sayaka began to run. She darted down a narrow alley, hoping it would lead to the other side of the mall, where she could lose her pursuer. However, she found herself nose-to-nose with a brick wall. Kyoko stood in the way, blocking the only exit.  
"You bitch."  
The redhead snarled as she spoke, dropping the bags she held in one hand and approaching Sayaka with forced footsteps.  
"You were lucky. I'm not done with you yet."  
Kyoko grabbed Sayaka's collar, lifting the bluenette a little off of her feet. Her face was contorted with frustration, rage, and another emotion Sayaka couldn't identify, but was sure followed the same pattern.  
"W-what do you want?"  
Sayaka choked out a question. Kyoko clutched harder.  
"I want you to fix what you fucked up in my life."  
"...what?"  
Sayaka was genuinely confused for a moment. Kyoko looked even more pissed off.  
"You know what I'm talking about! You find me a new apartment!"  
Sayaka's eyes narrowed, and she clutched her CD bag tighter.  
"Find it yourself."  
Her voice was low, and stubborn. Kyoko's eyes widened.  
"What's your deal? Double standards, much. You hold everyone else to your damned high moral standards, but you can't even man up and take responsibility for the shit you cause someone else! What the hell?"  
Sayaka glared right back at Kyoko.  
"You're a thief. You got what you deserved. Besides, you go to Mitaki Prep. You're a rich kid. Just get your parents to buy you a new one."  
Kyoko's face erupted with rage, and she shoved Sayaka forcefully in the chest as she released her from her vicelike grip.  
"Don't run your mouth about thing you don't know a fucking thing about!"  
Sayaka stumbled backwards, falling onto her butt. The CD bag was released from her hand.  
"Get off your fucking moral high pedestal and-"  
Something cracked audibly under Kyoko's foot.  
"...what the hell?"  
Sayaka's face twisted with rage and sadness. Kyoko looked down, at her feet.  
"Oh, shit."  
Sayaka stared at Kyoko, her face resembling stone. Kyoko looked flustered.  
"I-I didn't mean...I...you shouldn't have...um..."  
Completely lost for words, the redhead spun on her heels and was gone. Sayaka crawled over to bag, inspecting the insides. The CD case was badly cracked. The CD itself was in five pieces. She gathered them up in her hands. That was the last copy of that CD in all the music shops in Mitakihara, and here it was, cracked and broken in her hands.  
Sayaka picked up the pieces and began to walk home


	6. Chapter 6

__**Guys you have no idea how happy I am, this story reached 1000 views! Thank you so much to all my readers and reviewers :)! You guys are all awesome. It was also super awesome to see tons of reviews this time around, it honestly makes my day even if it's really short so keep them coming!**

**sailorcrisp - I know, my heart half broke when the CD did. It was a really painful decision to make Kyoko do that, even if it was an accident.**

**Madolche Wolffe - Thank you so much! I'm glad ya mentioned the character development, it's something I'm trying hard to stay true to. Sayaka and Kyoko are awesome, but they're not other people. It surprisingly difficult to write them as themselves. I hope you keep on enjoying the story :).**

**Kyosaya - I don't know? I wonder why :)? Hehe, like you said, you'll find out later. I hope you stick with me to find out!**

**Princessbuttercup101 - Ohohoh do you? Well I hope I can subvert your expectations! There's more than one plot twist down the road. This ain't your average straight-line romance, because Sayaka and Kyoko aren't straight-line characters :). **

**Gear001 - I sure as hell intend to! I just keep on coming up with more and more ideas. I'm definitely going to keep going with this one. It's really fun to write, especially the scenes between our favourite magical lesbians :).**

**Well, enjoy Chapter 6 folks! Thanks so much for all the reviews, and keep them coming! The more reviews I get, the more I wanna write!**

As soon as Sayaka walked in the door, the phone rang. Already in a shitty mood, she picked up the phone violently.

"Hello? Mr Miki?"  
"It's still Sayaka, ma'am. My parents won't be back until the Thursday after next."  
It was the landlady.  
"Sayaka? What happened to you calling your parents? Your rent is due today."  
Sayaka hung her head. She'd called her parents this morning, twice, but they hadn't answered.  
"I'm sorry. They didn't answer."  
"... I see."  
The landlady went silent for a moment. Then, finally, she sighed.  
"I'll give you one more week. If you can't contact your parents by then, I'm sorry, but I'll have to evict you."  
"I understand...thank you ma'am."  
Her eyes narrowed.  
"You've been good tenants, overall. I'd hate to see you go. It's not often you find tenants as respectful as your family."  
The landlady hung up the phone. Sayaka slammed it down on the receiver. She flung the broken CD bag on the bench top, and picked up the phone again, realising she needed it. She stabbed at the buttons and dialled her mother's cell. The phone rang, and it rang, and it rang. Frustrated, she rang again. The same response. She called her father's cell. Again, it rang and rang without answer. Sayaka slammed the phone down on the receiver again.  
"Dammit!"  
She cursed the air.  
"Why do my parents have to be so god damned useless? Oh man."  
She punched the wall lightly, and turned to look at her CD again. She had the slightest inkling of hope that maybe, just maybe, if she looked away, it would fix itself. Of course, nothing happened. Nothing could put that broken CD back together again. Sayaka looked mournfully around the room.  
"What the hell's her problem? What does she even want with me?"  
Her hands clenched and unclenched. She threw herself backwards onto the couch in the living room.  
"Dammit."  
She let herself relax, just a little. Not completely.  
"She probably won't bother after this, now will she?"  
Sayaka didn't know who she was talking to.  
"I mean, she looked pretty shaken up when she ran off after breaking my CD."  
There was an edge to Sayaka's last few words.  
"The guilt probably caught up with her. Maybe she finally got a conscience."  
Sayaka fumbled for the remote and turned on the TV. The news was on. She paid attention half-heartedly, pulled her blanket from last night over her.  
It was a few hours of mindless TV before she fell asleep.  
- x -  
The next morning, Sayaka shovelled down a quick breakfast. It was a little chilly, evidence of the cooling weather, but she braved the cold and put on a running singlet and shorts.  
"If I go for a run now, I can leave my stuff at the park and do some sprints and juggling. Alright!"  
Sayaka grinned. Running wasn't her favourite activity, but it managed to always put her in a good mood. She laced her shoes, and packed a bag with cones and of course, a football. Finally, she grabbed her iPod and plugged her earbuds into her ears, turning to her favourite track. A smile crossed her face as she jogged out of her house, locking the door behind her. The park wasn't far off, but she jogged anyway, blue bangs bouncing in her face. The track ended, and then the next did. Cars passed her by, red and blue and black and white and pink and green blurs beside her. Finally, her feet hit grass. The local park had recently put goal-posts up, too late for the start of the school season, but early for club football. Sayaka dumped her bag beside a goalpost, and began to run. First, a lap of the field, then she hit the footpath, her feet pounding against the concrete.  
Sayaka decided she loved running. She hated the breathless feeling she got when she ran that little bit faster, but at the same time, she loved it. At some point, it had started to spit a little, but Sayaka had relished in the cool misty breeze against her face.  
"Sayaka!"  
A voice called out to her from behind. It was Hitomi, and beside her, Kyousuke. Kyousuke was Sayaka's best friend from when she was little, and an extremely talented violinist. At some point, Sayaka had thought she was in love with Kyousuke, which led to many hurt feelings when Hitomi began to date him. However, Sayaka had decided her friendship with Hitomi was more important, and buried her feelings. The three had remained good friends, though Sayaka and Kyousuke were nowhere near as close.  
"Oh, hey guys!"  
She felt a little disgusting, sweatily greeting her friends. Hitomi and Kyousuke were, apparently, on a date, and as such were dressed up nicely, compared to Sayaka's less than new running singlet. Regardless, Hitomi and Kyousuke smiled at her, though Sayaka felt like something else was going on, as the two glanced awkwardly at each other.  
"Are you out on a run?"  
Hitomi asked her, releasing her grip on Kyousuke's hand. Sayaka nodded, putting a hand behind her head,  
"Yeah, I thought I better go."  
Kyousuke smiled, and asked her a question.  
"Oh, Sayaka, did you get that new CD? It's really great."  
Sayaka's face darkened.  
"Well, I bought it. But it's broken now."  
Kyousuke and Hitomi looked concerned.  
"What happened? Did you drop it?"  
Sayaka briefly recounted last night's encounter with Kyoko, as well as the striker's aggressive behaviour over the past few days. After she finished, Hitomi put a hand over her mouth.  
"That's horrible. Why would she do that?"  
Sayaka nodded, eyes dark.  
"And to make it worse, that was the last copy of the CD in all of the music shops in Mitakihara."  
Kyousuke looked grim.  
"That really sucks, Sayaka. You can borrow my CD any time you want."  
Sayaka smiled, glad to have her friends backing her.  
"Thanks, Kyousuke."  
She began to walk backwards, plugging her earbuds in.  
"Well, I better go. Can't leave my stuff at the park all day. See ya, guys!"  
Hitomi and Kyousuke waved her off, and Sayaka resumed her run, this time heading back towards the park. The rain had stopped, and the sun peered out from behind murky clouds.  
- x -  
Her feet hit grass again, and Sayaka finally slowed to a stop. A few other people had claimed corners of the park, but the goal area where Sayaka had left her bags was thankfully unoccupied. She sat down, and rested for a bit, watching the duo who were training at the other goal.  
"Oh god."  
One of the two was, of course, her favourite red-headed striker. Sayaka was tempted to leave, and find another park, but decided to stand her ground. She couldn't let Kyoko drive her life. Instead, she rummaged around in her bag, searching for the muesli bar she packed.  
"...huh?"  
It wasn't there. She rummaged a little more, but it was obvious.  
"Did I forget to pack it, or...?"  
She shrugged. She could eat later. As she took off her shoes, and laced her boots, she watched the other girl Kyoko was with. She was blatantly younger, with shorter green hair in pigtails, with yellow hair bobbles, and goalkeeper gloves that seemed far too big for her. The girl would throw the ball up in the air, and Kyoko would catch it with her foot and twist her body to slam it into the goal, all in one movement. The younger girl did appear to have some ability despite her puny size, although Kyoko could have been going easy on her. Sayaka finished tying her laces and rolled her football onto her foot, beginning to juggle. At one point, she' d sworn she'd made eye contact with Kyoko, but the red-head looked away so fast Sayaka couldn't decide whether or not she indeed had. She sighed, and kept juggling until she reached a hundred.  
- x -  
When Sayaka returned to her house, it was already late. The clock read 5:57. After a long day of training, she'd gone into town briefly to eat. That was three hours ago, and she was still starving. She went into the cupboard, and grabbed a sachet of two minute fried rice, putting it into the microwave and turning it on. She fumbled for her phone, and dialled her parents. They still didn't pick up.  
"What the hell? Did they forget their charger or what?"  
She let out a loud groan, and cancelled the call.  
"Geez."  
Suddenly, her phone beeped. It was a text, from Hitomi.  
'Can I call you?' it said. Sayaka felt a little confused.  
'Sure' she replied. Minutes later, Hitomi called her cell. Sayaka picked up.  
"Hello?"  
"Sayaka? It's Hitomi."  
Hitomi sounded slightly dishevelled, her voice wavering as she spoke.  
"What did you wanna talk about?"  
There was a slight pause.  
"Well, you see...Kyousuke and I...well, we broke up."  
Sayaka was shocked. They'd been going out for a year. She'd never have thought they were going to break up.  
"Oh, Hitomi. Are you okay? Do you want to come over?"  
"Would..would that be alright?"  
Sayaka nodded and grinned, then realised Hitomi couldn't see her.  
"Yeah, no problem. See you soon."  
"Goodbye, and thank you."  
The phone clicked, and Sayaka went to clean up the kitchen, and take a quick shower before Hitomi arrived.  
- x -  
Sayaka was just finishing towelling off her hair when the doorbell rang. She darted to the door, towel on her head. Hitomi stood at the entrance, green hair messier than usual but still near immaculate, and the same clothes as she'd been wearing earlier in the day. Her face was just the slightest bit downcast.  
"Hey! Come on in."  
Hitomi nodded in thanks, and stepped inside. Sayaka led her into the living room and offered her a seat on the couch, before taking her things and tossing them inside a guest room. When she returned, she sat next to the greenette and faced her seriously.  
"So, what happened?"  
Hitomi looked down at her feet.  
"I...dumped...him."  
Sayaka almost choked.  
"You did? Why?"  
Hitomi had been the one to confess to Kyousuke; she'd always spoke as if they'd been together forever. Thus, to Sayaka, it was extemely strange for Hitomi to have dumped him. Hitomi looked awkward.  
"Well, you see...I...well...I know he plays the violin. I know he loves it, but..."  
Sayaka frowned, and pushed Hitomi.  
"But...?"  
Hitomi squirmed.  
"I...really hate the sound of the violin. I always have. I thought I'd grow to love it, but...I just can't."  
Sayaka winced. Kyousuke loved playing the violin possibly more than life itself.  
"So why don't you just not go to his concerts?"  
Hitomi looked upset again, and Sayaka brought the girl into a hug.  
"I tried going in the beginning, and he was really happy I went. Then, I tried to make excuses, and he'd get all upset if I couldn't make it. I just...I couldn't take it anymore."  
Sayaka frowned.  
"There's something else, right?"  
Hitomi looked away.  
"...yes, there was. I told him I didn't want to go to one of his concerts. Kyousuke got upset, and told me if I didn't want to come, then maybe we should break up. So I did it."  
Sayaka enveloped Hitomi in a hug. She endured silence for what felt like eternity, until Hitomi drew back, a small smile returning to her face.  
"So...are you okay?"  
Hitomi paused, then nodded.  
"I think so. I'm not terribly upset. I'm almost...relieved."  
She looked despondent again.  
"Would that make me a bad person?"  
Sayaka giggled.  
"What? No! It's fine to be relieved. He was being unreasonably demanding. It's only natural you'd feel this way, seeing as now the pressure's off."  
Hitomi looked concerned.  
"Really?"  
"Really."  
Sayaka accentuated her reply with a nod, and a grin. Hitomi's smile returned forlornly to her face. Sayaka stood up suddenly.  
"Now, are you hungry? I've still got a bag of chips in the cupboard. Want some?"  
Hitomi nodded, ready to forget her feelings.


	7. Chapter 7

**Holy hell! Sorry this took so long to come out, I've been studying for exams and writing my own book. I've been so pleased with how many views this has gotten - just under 1500! Which is really exciting! This makes me so happy guys! In this chapter, we've got a little bit of Kyoko's perspective, and we're formally introduced to Yuma! Yay! I hope you guys enjoy!**

**In terms of reviews, I got a whole bunch this chapter! Thanks, guys. Keep them coming! They seriously make my day!**

**Runefang50 - Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope the next chapter satisfies!**

**Guest - Well, if an author doesn't torture her characters, what fun would it be?**

**Gear001 - I'm glad I managed to surprise you! I suppose that little twist last chapter was unexpected...but, hey. This ain't a conventional fanfiction.**

**RogueReviewer - Firstly, let me say thank you so much for your review! In all honesty, I'm totally with you about the whole hate the violin thing. I kinda want to go back and change it now, but I feel like I'd have to rewrite that whole section, and I dont want to delay further chapters any more, considering exams are coming up. Secondly, I totally agree about the dialogue as exposition point. A lot of my friends reading the book I'm writing have pointed that out as well, so I'm going to start changing that. If you have any tips, message me! Thirdly, I can do that. Formatting is difficult because I'm uploading this all from my iPad, but I'll aspire to do my best :). About the beta readers, I had a look but I was a little confused as to how I obtain one. Is there a forum I go to, or so I have to make a request somewhere..? I couldn't figure it out :(.**

**Madolche Wolffe - I'm glad I managed to surprise ya. Yuma is one of my favourite characters, and I think she fits in really well with KyoSaya as a whole, so she'll be appearing a lot more often from now on. And Gwack I'm so glad you like this story so much, I'm so touched 3.**

Kyoko dumped her bag full of football gear by the front door. It wasn't like she had a place in particular to put it anymore. Yuma trotted in behind her, green pigtails bouncing, and took off her shoes before going to pack her bag for the next day or something. Kyoko waltzed over to the kitchen bench; she still wasn't used to having a living room and kitchen in the same small room. She opened the cupboards, not expecting to find anything substantial. There was a single cup of instant noodles on the bottom shelf; other than a mostly empty bag of sugar and an empty tin of biscuits it was the only thing there.

"Yumaa~"

Kyoko called out to the green haired girl lazily, rocking back on her heels and supporting herself by holding the handles to the cupboard doors. Yuma popped her head out from in the bedroom, her yellow hair bobbles, well, bobbling.

"Yes?"

Her voice was high-pitched, matching her young appearance. She wasn't quite as young as she looked, but she was certainly more independent than most 13 year olds. The inquisitive look on her face matched her tone and childish appearance to a tee.

"We've only got one cup of noodles, and there's nothing else. I'm gonna make a run to the convenience store."

Kyoko sighed dramatically, and went to grab her keys off of the coffee table that sat beside the single couch, before Yuma spoke again. The girl looked decisive, despite the fact she was absent-mindedly completing whichever task she was doing.

"Don't worry about it. I'm going to go to see my Dad tonight."

Kyoko's head turned to face her. The girl was apparently packing her bag, with her school uniform on top, undoubtedly her own football gear for the next day's training too, and was stared fixedly at her hands as they moved, not meeting Kyoko's eyes. The redhead bit her lip.

"...are you sure?"

Kyoko's voice wavered just a little, so much so that one would have to strain their ears to pick it up. Yuma turned her head, and nodded. Kyoko frowned.

"Dad wanted me to come home. He says he misses me."

Kyoko could read the words that never formed themselves on the green-haired girl's lips. She sighed, genuinely this time.

"Do you want a ride?"

Yuma beamed at Kyoko from the other room.

"Thanks, Kyoko."

Kyoko just scowled, feeling uneasy. She grabbed her keys off of the coffee table, and fished through her bag of football gear for the house key. Yuma padded up to her, clutching a duffel bag full of her few things. The redhead locked the door behind her, slamming it so that it would shut properly, and descended the stairs, hands in the pockets of her ever-faithful green hoodie. Yuma hummed happily beside her.

Three flights later, they were at Kyoko's car. It wasn't in the best of shapes, but it got the job done. Kyoko picked at some of the flaking paint mournfully. She loved that car. The insides weren't much better, with the seats possessing multiple holes and the stuffing peering out of each. Regardless, it was a car, and it was hers. Yuma sat quietly in the passenger seat while Kyoko turned the key in the ignition. The car flared to life, coughing and spluttering but roaring at the same time. The striker felt that same thrill she always got when she drove. It was difficult for her to describe, though. She'd never been good at English. The night sky became more and more apparent as Kyoko reversed, narrowly missing a pot plant, and began to drive.

"There are lots of stars out tonight."

Yuma's remark came out of nowhere. Kyoko glanced sideways at her, then suddenly swerved to avoid driving into the other lane. Yuma giggled.

"Yeah. There sure are. Not many clouds. Guess the rain cleared up."

"Do you think if I make a wish, it will come true?"

Yuma said things like that often. She had such a childish belief in wishes and magic, it was almost like she was 5. Kyoko didn't have the heart to dispel those, though, so she just agreed.

"If ya wish really really hard, maybe it might."

There were silent for a few moments. Yuma stared out the window. Kyoko's sudden turn jerked her sideways, and the younger girl gave her a look. Kyoko grinned unapologetically. Yuma made a disapproving noise, but left it at that, and continued her star-gazing. The striker felt the need to continue the conversation, though.

"...what would you wish for?"

The car came to a halt, directly beneath a street light, which flickered. Yuma looked at Kyoko indignantly.

"If I told you, it wouldn't come true, right?"

Kyoko chuckled.

"I guess not."

The two got out of the car, and looked at Yuma's parent's house. It wasn't particularly decrepit, but the garden was overgrown, and the paint was flaking in places. Yuma took a few steps forward, then turned and flung herself into a hug with the older girl. Kyoko let her arms wrap gently around the green-haired goalkeeper, pulling the girl closer to her and resting her chin on the top of her head.

"I'll miss you."

Yuma mumbled into Kyoko's chest so quietly, she almost didn't hear. Instead of replying verbally, Kyoko just hugged the girl harder.

"How long until you come back?"

Yuma shrugged. Kyoko didn't expect her to know. She'd stay until her Dad got sick of her again. It would happen, inevitably. Kyoko was just worried that the little girl would never come back. She frowned, and Yuma squirmed at the movement. Finally, Yuma pulled back, picking up her bag again. Kyoko couldn't keep her mixed emotions off of her face as the girl turned away. She took a few steps in the direction of her house, then looked back.

"I'll be fine."

She beamed at Kyoko, a childish, naive smile. Then, she turned and walked away, into that house. Kyoko stood watching her for a while, and then turned away. She stepped into her car and started it up again. She couldn't help but wonder, as she stared at the stars, that if she wished Yuma would never go away again, it would come true. She sighed, and laughed at herself bitterly. Of course it wouldn't. Wishes never came true. No matter how much you wanted them to.

- x -

Sayaka yawned as she stepped out of the house and grumpily accepted it was Monday. Madoka was waiting for her at the usual corner, having apparently not slept over at Homura's house the night before. The pinkette was cheerful as usual, and waved as Sayaka approached.

"Good morning, Sayaka! Did you get Hitomi's text?"

Hitomi had texted the both of them that morning and said she wasn't feeling well, so she'd be staying home. Sayaka had frowned. It was unusual for Hitomi to stay home at all. The green-haired girl was usually adamant about not staying home, lest she miss class.

"Yeah, weird, huh?"

Madoka nodded, and began to reason why she might be staying home. Obviously Hitomi hadn't yet told her about the break-up. Sayaka was positive it had something to do with that. Even after Hitomi had left the following morning, she hadn't been completely happy. Still, it was weird. Sayaka didn't want to tell Madoka about the break-up, but gossipers would probably be talking about it at school already, so she took the plunge.

"I think I know why."

Madoka's pink pigtails swivelled around to stare at her.

"Really?"

Sayaka nodded, and began to explain their break-up. By the time she'd finished, Madoka's eyes were wide, and the pinkette looked down at the ground.

"I didn't know."  
The pinkette looked so utterly distraught Sayaka couldn't help but put an arm around her. Her shoulders were frail, reflective of her fragile demeanour and brittle health. Sayaka tried to grin despite herself.

"Hey, it's okay."

Undoubtedly, Madoka was feeling extremely guilty about her own happy relationship with Homura. Sayaka still wasn't used to the idea of her best friend being a lesbian, but she could at least act normal for Madoka's sake. Unfortunately, the girl was obviously unable to separate her own feelings for Homura from her sudden guilt. Sayaka sighed.

"Don't feel guilty. It's not your fault at all. People break up. It happens."

Her words reached empty ears. When Madoka went into a state like this, she was almost unreadable until the end of day. Sayaka cursed inside her head, and sighed again. She hoped Homura might be able to talk some sense into the girl. The deadpan girl didn't speak much with her, but they at least shared a common interest. They could chat at training after school. Sayaka shivered. The cold winds were coming in. Winter had just begun a week ago, and they were already freezing on the way to school.

Before they knew it, the duo had reached Mitakihara High School.

- x -

Mami was waiting for the team, as per usual. She had no cake for them this time, however. Her blonde twin plaits were neat, as per usual. Again, their real coach wasn't there.

"It's her back again."

That was always the excuse. Mami had done most coaching for the whole year. Sayaka sighed and dumped her bag down, next to Madoka. The girl had been off all day, and Sayaka was irritated, to say the least. Homura stood next to the pinkette, always, forever on guard. Sayaka pulled a cheerful look from the depths of her mind, and began to talk to her.

"Hey, Homura. Can I have a chat to you?"

The girl with the long dark hair nodded, and stepped away from the pinkette.

"What?"

Sayaka began to explain her concern over Madoka's mood, including Hitomi and Kyousuke's break-up. When she finished, the girl nodded twice, slowly.

"I understand now. This would explain why she's been upset all day, but refused to talk to me about it."

Sayaka nodded.

"Thank you for telling me."

Homura's offhand comment caught Sayaka by surprise. For once, the impassive girl seemed to be genuinely grateful to the bluenette. After spending a few moments in shock, she cracked a grin, and shrugged.

"You're welcome."

Her mood brightened considerably, knowing that Homura would somehow find a way to cheered Madoka up. Even now, the pinkette was laughing at a joke her girlfriend had told her. Sayaka stood up again, and called out to her team, a grin on her face.

"Alright, girls, let's warm up!"


End file.
